March 2010 Archives - The Instrumentalist

Hopi Culture and the Music of Katherine Hoover

theinstrumenta — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:17:19 +0000

American composer Katherine Hoover is well known for her two solo flute pieces Kokopeli, Op. 43 (1990) and Winter Spirits, Op. 51 (1997). Hoover was inspired by the Native American land, culture, and more specifically, by the Hopi tribe after trips to the Southwest. Players will understand these two compositions better when they learn about the music, religion, and holy beings within the Hopi culture.
Located in northeastern Arizona, the Hopi are one of many indigenous tribes in that area. They call themselves the “Peaceful People” (Hopituh-shinumu) and claim to be the oldest inhabitants of North America.¹ Although each of the eleven Hopi villages has its own unique characteristics, they share a common thread – a way of life that derives from their creation and migration stories.

Creation
The Hopi believe that the Creator (Taiowa) made the heavens, holy beings (kachinas), nature, and mankind. When the people obeyed the Creator’s plan, people lived in harmony alongside the kachinas. To the Hopi, a kachina is a supernatural being who normally brings rain, crops, and health to the tribe. Although seen as a living entity, the Hopi do not view these spirits as gods, but as guardian angels. To restore peace, the Hopi hold kachina ceremonies throughout their calendar year, although most take place during the winter solstice; coincidentally, parallels can be drawn between Winter Spirits and the solstice, although it was not Hoover’s original intention.

Migration
    When the people were disobedient, they were exiled from the land and told to dwell elsewhere. Upon their emergence into the new world, the Hopi divided into clans and began their migration with the help of insect-like beings (máhus). The máhus endured hardships so that the people could inhabit the land, and playing flutes was a way to diminish their pain.
    During the migration, the Hopi people carved images in the rocks of the máhus playing their flutes. Some scholars claim that these images are of Kokopeli, the famous humpbacked-flute player, although others disagree. The máhus also sang songs, some of which are so ancient that many present-day Hopi no longer know them.
    Hopi music is woven into their lives, and serves three functions: sacred, social, and personal. Because of this, the Hopi are also called a “People of Song.”² They use songs, dances, and music in their sacred ceremonies, and the musical activities have great significance to them. Non-tribal members rarely hear these songs.
    For social events music is used as part of work, such as with corn grinding songs. While the women prepare the corn, music keeps them entertained. Lullabies, love songs, and meditative music fall into the third category of personal use. Hopi music is considered to be “the most complex music of all the North American Indian tribes.”³

The Hopi Flute
The flute brings life to Hopi music and is believed to have supernatural powers. It is an ancient instrument and originated with the Hopi migration stories. Unlike the modern transverse flute, a Hopi flute is held vertically, similar to a recorder, and the player blows into the top end of the instrument. The tone holes are along the side of the tube, which is made out of bone, wood, or reed. A painted gourd cup is attached to the end of the instrument for amplification.

Katherine Hoover’s Music
Kokopeli, Op. 43 and Winter Spirits, Op. 51 are both for solo flute and categorized as programmatic music. Hoover musically notated her thoughts and interpretations of Native American music for these two pieces, and tried to capture the limitless sounds and space of the Southwest. In an interview with Elaina Rigg, Hoover stated, “as for [a] theoretical analysis…I have never given [Kokopeli] a moment’s thought in this direction.”⁴ It is safe to say that this holds true for Winter Spirits, as well. The intention is for the performer to make these two pieces their own, as is obvious from Hoover’s statement, “there are many aspects I prefer to have left free.”⁵

Kokopeli, Op. 43 (1990)
Kokopeli is a through-composed work without repetitions of any major sections; each verse has its own unique melody.⁶ As you play or listen to it, you can hear the Native American sounds quite distinctly. This is due to the structural and melodic form, lack of key signature, key, and rhythm. Meter and barlines are nonexistent. Therefore, when referring to musical examples I will use line numbers for each stave.

    The absence of barlines indicates that time should not be taken literally. This will help you capture the “great spaces and sky,” within the piece.⁷
    Notice the breath mark in the example above. It is another device incorporated to create the feeling of space. Although a breath mark can serve its traditional function, it also suggests a pause before continuing with the next phrase. This is also consistent with Native American musical style. The Hopi are known to incorporate mysterious pauses within their songs.⁸
    Key signatures, like barlines, are not used in Kokopeli. Hoover states that “Accidentals carry through the line, but do not carry over the octave.” Traditional Hopi music also does not include these elements, although their music suggests that they were familiar with the concepts on an intuitive level.⁹ However, even without a formal key signature, it is easy to conclude that Bb is the work’s tonal center. It is not only the first and last note of the first phrase, but it appears seven more times in the piece as a long sustained note.
    Contrasting tempo and dynamic markings are evident throughout Kokopeli, and they are often found within close proximity of each other.

    As indicated by the composer, tempo markings are approximate. However, I suggest following the given tempo indications at first, just until you feel comfortable with the piece. Because Native American music is traditionally improvisational, that approach works well with Kokopeli in terms of tempo and rhythm when you are ready to loosen it up.
    The rhythms in this piece are similar to those of the Hopi music.¹⁰ Note values range from whole notes to grace notes within a single line.
    Native American music often imitates the natural surroundings, incorporating the sounds of nature, such as bird or insect chirps. The grace notes here are a stylistic feature that functions in that way.

Winter Spirits, Op. 51 (1997)
    Like Kokopeli, Winter Spirits is based on Native American sounds. Musical element such as the structural and melodic form, lack of key signature, and rhythm, create this effect. There are many similarities between the two pieces, but there are some differences as well.
    Winter Spirits uses barlines and has “definite sections which contrast with each other.”¹¹ These contrasting sections are found on a small and large scale within the piece. For instance, the beginning starts with a long slurred phrase indicated to be played with freedom.

However, at the end of the piece, the mood changes drastically when articulated 32nd notes and accented eight notes are found within shorter bar lengths.

    The fact that Hopi melodies are nearly impossible to dictate in the Western notation system led researchers to conclude that the Hopi “conceive melodies as series of contours rather than a series of discrete pitches.”¹² For example, the note range is rather wide, the lowest being Db4 and the highest being B6. So when playing Winter Spirits, try to think in contours rather than individual notes.
    Understanding the cultural traditions and history of the Hopi that Katherine Hoover incorporated into her music, will help you give a better performance of these works.

References:

¹Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi: The First Revelation of the Hopi’s Historical and Religious World-View of Life (New York: Ballantine Books, Inc. 1963), xv.
²Harry C. James, The Hopi Indians: Their History and Their Culture (Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1956), 174.
³James, 181.
⁴Hoover, unpublished interview by Elaina Rigg, January 26, 1999. E-mail attachment from Hoover to author.
⁵Ibid.
⁶Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary, “Through-composed” http:
//www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/ (accessed March 18, 2009).
⁷Hoover interview, January 26, 1999, Interview by Elaina Rigg.
⁸Renita Freeman Ashmore, “The Native American Flute” (Master’s thesis, California State University, 2000).
⁹Paul Collaer, Music of the Americas: An Illustrated Music Ethnology of the Eskimo and American Indian Peoples (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1973), 34.
¹⁰Bruno Nettl, Music in Primitive Culture (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1956), 112.
¹¹Hoover interview by author, January 12, 2009.
¹²George List, “Hopi Melodic Concepts,” Journal of the American Musicological Society 38, no. 1 (Spring, 1985): 144.

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Why Study Music Theory

theinstrumenta — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:28:27 +0000

   Freshman music majors often ask, “Why do I need to take music theory? I just want to play the flute!” The short answer is because the course is required for graduation. However, the long answer is a bit more involved. Most students have been playing the flute for a number of years. During these years, they have successfully participated in school band and orchestra programs and built a musical foundation of certain sounds and rhythms. They may recognize melodic and rhythmic patterns and perhaps even sense harmonic movement. Hopefully, they have also acquired a basic knowledge and understanding of form.
   This is all good, but it is only the beginning. The study of music theory enhances and builds upon this musical foundation. Music theory provides the tools to become an informed and expressive performer. One student said to me, “My high school teacher taught me the notes. You teach me what to do with them.” This is what a music education curriculum composed of applied studies, music theory, and music history should do for a student. These subjects help students develop an artistic, informed performance.
   Where we fail as teachers is in not helping students fully understand the connections between music theory and their applied studies. A student who does not understand these connections is the one who will ask why he should study music theory.

Theory Curriculum
   University theory curriculum is divided into two areas: The fundamentals or elements of music and the structural elements of music. Most private and public school teachers teach some basic fundamentals of music that probably include notation, rhythm, tonality, key signatures, scales, intervals, and perhaps some transposition work. When students enter a college program, they are tested on these fundamental elements. If they pass the entrance exam, they are placed in a theory class. If not, they usually take an elements of music class to sharpen their skills before undertaking the music theory sequence.
   Because of the time constraints, most high school teachers don’t discuss the structural elements of music with their students. Structural elements of music include the study of cadences, non-harmonic material, melodic organization, harmonic progressions, modulation, and musical forms.
   Many university programs may even delay the study of music history until students have some foundation in the structural elements. However, as soon as students have a grasp of the basics, each of these topics is examined from a historical point of reference. The goal is for students to develop a clear understanding of what happened theoretically in the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods.

But I Hate Theory
Each of us has had students who expressed this sentiment – a clear indication that they are struggling with the course. You ask them: Are you attending class? Are you completing and handing in your homework? Do you practice sight singing (solfeggio)? Do you ask questions in class? Do you have a theory tutor? Do you have a study group? Can you read bass clef fluently? Are you signed up for piano class? The answer to all the questions is usually a resounding “No!”

Aural Skills
Further conversation with the student often reveals that they are having difficulties with the aural skills portion of the class, which includes sight singing (solfeggio) and dictation, both melodic and harmonic. In melodic dictation students write down what they hear, usually a line of music with the correct notes and rhythms. At first the melodies are stepwise or triadic, but as the year progresses the melodies include skips and modulations. The goal with harmonic dictation is for students to be able to write down an entire chorale after hearing it played four times or as the jargon goes, on “four plays.” The early learning steps include the ability to identify cadences and write down chord progressions. As students’ dictation abilities develop, the chorales may include modulations and non-harmonic material as well.
Generally, flutists with aural skill difficulties have never sung, taken piano lessons, or been asked to think about music in an analytical or aural way. They have just played the notes. Many flutists are linear or horizontal thinkers, meaning that they only hear one melodic line. Unfortunately four-part dictation requires that they become vertical thinkers also.

Preparing a Successful Student
In order to create successful college students, preparation should start when they are in high school. The first step is to help them learn to match their voice to another pitch. Ask them to discover their vocal range by singing as many pitches as they can – low to high and high to low. Remind them that the rules for body alignment and breathing while playing a flute apply to voice production as well.
Then, ask students to sing a low note in their range, G4 for female students or G3 for males, and slowly ascend one octave. Then do the opposite; sing a high note and descend to an octave lower. Most instrumental students do not like to sing aloud. Use humor and encouragement to get them to let go and be willing to try. Most students are impatient with their first attempts, but need to be reminded that they did not learn to play the flute in one day.
Try this other exercise that is quite similar to the vocal exercise above. Have two flutists stand back to back. One chooses a note to play. The other plays up and down the flute until he can find the note that the other flutist chose. With practice, many flutists can learn to match another player’s note immediately.

Knowledge of Fundamentals
Most of us are confident in teaching students to play scales and arpeggios because we know that these two elements are the major building blocks in developing a solid technique. However, the study of scales and arpeggios also helps students develop super aural technique skills.

Arpeggios
   A triad is a chord of three notes: A root (the lowest note), a third above the root, and a fifth above the root. The quality of a chord is either major, minor, diminished, or augmented. When the notes of a triad are stacked on successive lines or spaces, the triad is in root position. A triad may be constructed on each note of a scale as shown below:

   For analysis purposes, each triad is given a Roman numeral designation based on its quality.

   In most Western music, a Roman numeral chord progresses to another Roman numeral chord in a natural way. This is called a harmonic progression and refers to the order in which the chords are used in a piece of music. The goal is to teach students to play the most common harmonic progressions on the flute. Playing these progressions on the flute (and perhaps singing them as well), helps students develop their aural skills.
   Because the flute is not capable of playing all the notes of a triad at once, we play them in succession in an arpeggio. (Go to for a copy of the major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads.)
   The most common progression is I (tonic) V (dominant) I (tonic). In F major, students play an F-major arpeggio, a C-major arpeggio, and an F-major arpeggio. In order to teach the harmonic movement more obviously, use root position.

   When students are proficient in F major, repeat this drill in all major keys. They may need a cheat sheet at first to remember which arpeggio comes next, but the ultimate goal is for them to be able to perform this task by memory. This harmonic progression work develops students’ ears for harmonic movement.

Chord Classification
   Over centuries of time, theorists have discovered that each chord belongs in a certain category or classification in terms of its progress to the tonic. In order to use all the chords that are built on a scale, here is a chart to help you make a strong chord progression.

   When learning to play chord progressions, start with two chords first, making the progression I – V – I as discussed previously. Then repeat the drill substituting vii˚ for the V. Then add either IV or ii before V or vii˚ etc. Be patient. If necessary make a cheat sheet, but the goal is to learn this drill in every major key.
   Those of my students who learned this process in high school did not understand what others found so difficult about theory when they got to college. Learning to play these progressions helps students build a harmonic foundation for their playing and eventually for their aural dictation skills.

Another Singing and Playing Exercise
The next most common chord progression is I (tonic) IV (subdominant) V (dominant) I (tonic). The following exercise is in root position. Students should learn it in all keys – even write it out if necessary. Then in their daily life, they can practice humming or singing it aloud. Again, the goal is to perform this task by memory.
For tuning purposes, you can play the root of the chord as students play the arpeggio. Then switch and have the student hold the root while you play the arpeggio.

Vocalise
Many singers warm-up by singing simple melodies or vocalises on the pure vowel sounds such as ah. Most vocalises are based on triadic or chordal material similar to the examples in this article. The goal is to make the same color or timbre on each note of the exercise. Flutists should practice the previous chordal examples with those same goals. Each and every note should be beautiful. Each tone should be produced with relaxation, and the notes should flow from one to the next with ease. Not only do these exercises improve players’ sounds and ears, but once they can figure out which arpeggio comes next, players’ analysis skills improve immensely.

If you ask any fine teacher or performer if they use their music theory training in their daily life, the answer will be yes. They know the more quickly a musician can recognize and categorize patterns (scales, sequences, arpeggios, chords, intervals, rhythms) the faster he can sight read, and the more musically he will play. Instead of plodding note-to-note, notes and figures become larger groups and phrases. Intonation improves because he understands root (chord progression) movement and knows which note to pay closer attention to in tuning.
When a flutist tells me that he loves his music theory class, I am overjoyed. It means that we have been successful in building a strong foundation in the fundamentals of music. Building a student’s music theory foundation is time consuming. Most high school students have between 30 and 60 minutes per week with their teacher. The quandary for the teacher is always do I teach the flute or do I teach music theory. The answer of course is to teach flute, but hopefully through these ideas, the student can learn the fundamentals of music theory while studying the flute.

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The College Audition Trail

theinstrumenta — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:26:03 +0000

As a parent of an aspiring musician, I have been a cheerleader, chauffeur, psychologist, and advocate. Throughout my daughter’s high school years, I became known around town as a flute momager, similar to soccer mom, but with a music focus.
There is nothing in my background that prepared me for this role. I broke my clarinet in the fifth grade when I used it to practice baton twirling, and then I quit playing. When I couldn’t sing Happy Birthday in tune, I thought I was tone deaf. Perhaps my personal lack of musicality spurred my enthusiasm when my daughter showed promise as a flutist. I devoted my spare time to listening, attending recitals, and researching every aspect of the flute world; its history, teachers, performers, and possibilities. My husband and I simply loved listening to her play and encouraged her all the way. However, when college auditions became a reality, we had no idea how things would turn out.
Along with the audition process for college, senior year of high school was a fast paced march toward destiny. We were armed with maps, charts, and schedules rivaling the presidential inauguration. Making decisions and completing applications was intense, but preparing for auditions added an extra twist of tension. I had to remind myself that I would not actually be playing – I was just the instrument handler.
Leading up to the audition season, I heard her practice the long D, as well as study for standardized tests and write essays, while I browsed Travelocity, double-checked repertoire requirements, mailing addresses, and audition locations. Even with all of the preparation and support, there were unexpected snags that popped up along the way.
Some schools required prescreening CDs or a CD supplement with the application, and we found that making the recording was not nearly as difficult as scheduling the accompanist, teacher, and recording engineer all at the same time. In addition, the CDs had to be carefully labeled according to each school’s specific requirements. Despite an early start, we managed to mail the CDs just within the prescribed deadlines.
Once she was notified at which schools she would audition, I tried to keep things simple by booking hotels most convenient to the schools. After weeks of making reservations online, I was enticed by an “add a hotel” link and thumbnail photo of a hotel in Canada that looked like it fit our needs. What it didn’t show was the “peep show” district in the neighborhood. We arrived and went to bed early, but were disturbed by shouts in the hallway. There was a bachelor party in progress a few doors down, complete with a stripper. I called in a complaint to the front desk and fortunately found earplugs in our suitcase.
On one trip, I opened the suitcase and found only her black suede shoes. I desperately searched the rest of the suitcase until I realized that I had forgotten to bring her audition clothes. There was nothing to be done since my daughter only had tee shirts, jeans, and other casual clothing. In the end, she wore my sweater set and scarf. It didn’t look too bad, but it was a scary moment.
Excitement followed us at another hotel that prided itself in making guests feel welcome. A less than friendly hotel manager and a large security guard loudly knocked on our door and ordered my flutist, who was practicing at 6:00 pm, to stop the noise at once! We apologized for the annoying sounds of a Bach sonata. After that I learned to sweet talk the concierge into allowing us to use an empty ballroom, conference room, or other area for practice. And if that didn’t work, we used it anyway.
At one school, we witnessed a lot of frantic students and parents searching for pencils when a theory test was required. While there were pencils in the welcome packets, they were unsharpened, and there was no sharpener. The next problem was the restroom, which was locked on weekends. I tracked down the maintenance man who had the right set of keys.
While some schools offered coffee, and light snacks, others had snack bars open for auditions. However, I was caught unprepared when there was nothing available and a serious blizzard prevented me from venturing outside. Thereafter, my handbag turned into a virtual picnic basket of snacks and water bottles that squeezed and wouldn’t drip on music.
Finding a practice room was an evolving skill. Usually we arrived early and scoped out the rooms. Sometimes it was easy and other times she had to share the practice rooms with other instrumentalists at the same time. We learned to be flexible.
At one crowded institution, I asked the young lady in charge of attendance if everything was running on time. I had seen her the night before, attending a master class. She looked young, but I assumed she was a college student. I asked, “Are you a grad or undergrad?” “I’m neither,” she replied, “I’m ten.” Another student turned to me and whispered, “She’s the teacher’s daughter.”
Most auditions went smoothly and were a positive and enjoyable experience. Nearly all the professors made an effort to make my daughter feel welcome and relaxed. Sometimes I unexpectedly met the teachers and was introduced to the admissions counselors after her audition. I realized I needed to be on my toes as well.
My daughter is now a freshman at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Since she has left home for college there is a noticeable silence when I go up the walkway or when I am putting my key in the door. We are greatly looking forward to hearing her play once again on her visits home.

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Buying a Big Flute

theinstrumenta — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:57:25 +0000

If you are in the market for an alto or bass flute, you are in luck. There are more choices in more price ranges today than ever before. Manufacturers have added more models and options, and new makers are coming into the market as well. Begin gathering information about six months before your intended purchase. Ask for opinions from flute chat rooms, other alto and bass players, flute choir directors, repair people, and flutists in your area. Talk to people who have no financial interest in your intended purchase. Salespeople are supposed to make their instruments sound like the best ever.
State flute festivals usually have an area for exhibitors, so find out what stores and makers are coming and if they will have alto and basses for you to try. Do not settle for whatever happens to be available in your town. The only way to find the best instrument for you is to play as many of them as possible.
The best selection of alto and bass flutes, any flutes actually, is at the National Flute Association convention (Anaheim, August 2010). It is worth the trip to be able to try many different ones in a short period of time.
If you can’t wait until August, there are music stores that will send instruments on a trial basis. Usually they request a credit card number as collateral. Be sure to ask what their return policy is including whether there is a restocking fee if you return the instrument. Deal with an established, well-known music store that will stand behind the products if something goes awry.
Just because a flute is offered for less money doesn’t mean it’s a bargain. You usually get what you pay for. If no flute player has ever heard of the brand you found online, approach it with extreme caution.

Sterling vs. Silver plate
I believe that C flutes generally have better tone when they are made of silver, but this is less critical for altos and basses. The larger the instrument, the less important the materials are that makeup that instrument. A sterling headjoint on an alto was probably designed more carefully because it was made out of silver, and it should produce a better tone than a plate version of the same model.
I find that an alto with a sterling head and body is heavy to hold, and the tone is not appreciably better. Play one for 15 minutes without stopping to see how you feel. If your arms and hands don’t hurt and the tone pleases you, it may be a good option for you.
Basses are primarily silver plate because sterling would increase the weight of the instrument too much. Focus on the headjoint design, what the bass sounds like, how the instrument responds, and what the mechanism feels like under your hands.

Key Layout
There is great variety in key layout from maker to maker on altos and basses. Test a variety of flutes to find the ones that allow you the most comfort and agility. One important factor to consider is how easily the footjoint keys can be maneuvered by the little finger. Because we buy low flutes for their luscious low notes, make sure the keys are easy to reach. Make sure your finger does not get stuck between Eb and Db or that getting to low C does not require too much right hand twisting.

Curved vs. Straight Head
   If you are buying an alto that several people will share, get one that comes with both a curved and straight headjoint. People with short arms will appreciate being able to play without cramping their right hand, and others will appreciate the improved intonation of a straight tube. Most entry and mid-level instruments can be purchased with both heads.
   If you are buying the alto for yourself, you have to decide if you want a straight or curved head. For intonation reasons, I believe a straight head is preferable. Because key layout varies from maker to maker, some flutes with straight heads will be fine, while others will be uncomfortable. Make sure you can play the alto flute with a straight head continuously for 15 minutes without discomfort in your right hand.
   If you are like me and have short arms, only a curved head alto will do. The intonation of the third octave is, unfortunately, ¼ step sharp. However, it is better to have an intonation problem than a hand problem. To see how to line up an alto or bass with a curved headjoint, refer to my YouTube video for alto and for bass .

Bass Support Systems
   Some basses come with a crutch for the left hand that attaches to the bass and fits in between the thumb and index finger. It helps stabilize the instrument, but it is sometimes too big and painful to use. It is important to find an instrument that fits your hand comfortably. I have found that a non-slip cushion for flute called a “hand positionner” that is available through BG Franck Bichon keeps my bass from slipping around.
   Two companies currently make vertical basses. They are worth trying if your right arm is dying holding up the regular bass. Some basses have a narrow bore option that is also helpful for people with small hands.
   Another bass flute comes with a graphite rod that screws into the bottom of the instrument with a pivot connection. The graphite rod only comes in one length that may or may not work for you, but it can be a huge help in long rehearsals.

Playing Tests
   A C-flute player can usually get a sound out of an alto, but getting a sound on a bass is a different story. If you are shopping for a bass but don’t yet play one, have someone else try it for you. Pay special attention to the lowest notes; they are the reason you are buying the instrument. Don’t buy an instrument until you can hear what it can do. You should still test how comfortable it is to hold, even if you are having trouble getting a sound.
   To check an instrument, first try a simple tune that starts fairly low and goes down to the bottom of the range. Something like “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel,” or “Moon Over the Ruined Castle” would work well. If the low register is weak or hard to get out, go no further with that instrument. A weak low register is a deal breaker for me.
   Try some of your favorite melodies. and see if you like the sound. Ideally, an instrument should have that wow factor. You play it and the sound connects with you at an emotional level. You feel you just have to have this instrument. If you dislike the sound, there is no point in continuing further.

Intonation Test
   The next test is intonation. Tune to an A. It is critical that the low octave be close to in tune, so play mf down a C Major scale for one octave and see what the tuner says. I have played many basses and some altos that have a flat low register. If it is more than 10 cents flat on C3, C#3 or D3 at mf, find another instrument to try. It is very difficult to bring pitch up in the low octave, especially at soft dynamic levels, and it is not always possible to compensate for a flat low octave by pushing in, which also makes the third octave even sharper. You don’t want to fight with the instrument in precisely the area that is most important.
   If the instrument passes this test, go up an easy one-octave scale slowly and look at the pitch of each note on a tuner. Use no vibrato. Test the C#2 – it is usually less sharp on alto and bass than on C flute. The C2 is also not sharp as it is on a C flute. Find out how much adjusting you’ll have to do for these two notes. The first and second octaves should be pretty well in tune. If they are not, move on to another instrument.
   The entire third octave of a bass and a curved headjoint alto is generally ¼ step sharp, mainly because manufacturers have not yet figured out how to make a continuous taper through the tight curve of the headjoint. This is why alto flutes with straight heads are usually better in tune. However, each flute has its own unique problems. There is no perfect instrument.
   For curved altos and basses, you will need to learn some embouchure adjustments and some alternate fingerings for the third octave.

Mechanical and Tonal Response
   If the instrument passes the intonation test, try fast two-octave scales and arpeggio patterns. Evaluate the crispness or sluggishness of the mechanism and how easily or not the instrument moves through the different registers. Then move on to slurring big intervals. My current favorite is this pattern:

Continue on down with this exercise until your bottom note is your fingered low C. This test should tell you how easy it is to find that spot where the notes speak cleanly.
   Rapid tonguing is the next test. Go up and down some tongued scales and try any fast tonguing passage you know. Notice how well the flute responds. Check whether you can play single short notes. E2 and F2 can be less responsive. If you find an instrument that can play these cleanly, count your blessings.
   If the instrument passes all these tests, you like the tone, and you can purchase the one you have tested, take the plunge!

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Trompe-l’œil, Trompe-l’oreille

theinstrumenta — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:06:01 +0000

Trompe-l’œil is a painting technique consisting of “tricking-the-eye” either by a false perspective or by representing deceptive objects. It was used by great (and not so great) artists and architects of all periods, sometimes playfully, sometimes with the philosophical idea that nothing in life is always what it seems.
The American artist Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) used the technique beautifully to show humor and nostalgia. The Spaniard Salvador Dali (1904-1989) is the most famous member of the movement known as “Surrealism,” a term that means things more real than real.
That same type of trickery is used on the flute. Similar to trompe-l’œil in the visual arts, alternate fingerings in the musical arts trick the ear into hearing the written pitch with an easier set of fingerings. There is a stigma attached to the use of alternate fingerings, even called fake fingerings, among many flutists – even by myself when I was younger.
Some professors used to outright forbid the use of the thumb-Bb, teaching students to use only the right-hand
Bb in the belief that it improved finger technique. Using the thumb Bb was supposedly taking the easy way out.
The thumb-Bb key was invented by the Italian virtuoso Giulio Briccialdi (1818-1881- pictured on right). With this new key he created the only real improvement to the Boehm flute as we know it now. I can say that most flutists I know in the profession use it consistently, even if they are, for some reason, ashamed to indulge with it and require their students not to use this object of lascivious sloth.
The traverso, which prevailed for many centuries, was a beautiful instrument made of boxwood or precious species of exotic woods, sometimes ivory, or rarely crystal. To this day there are lovers of these instruments who won’t even look at a modern flute and who frown upon us metal flute players daring to peruse their repertoire.
The traverso had a birth defect, however. It was built on the diatonic scale, whereby each basic hole was one step of a chosen scale, mostly D major, or a transposition thereof. The consequence was that any note outside the basic scale had to be played with a combination of fingerings, which we would call fake fingerings. There lies the technical difficulty of the traverso: these fingerings are necessary to play in a distant key or to improve intonation.
Boehm’s flute is chromatic, and that was his stroke of genius. It is built on the premise that each note of a scale, any scale, could be produced by using two holes (in the case of a whole step interval) or one hole (in the case of a half-step distance).
This does not mean that the Böehm flute could do without alternate fingerings. Boehm flutes require fingerings, (especially in the high range), that are essentially alternate fingerings.
I recall my old Conservatoire professor, Gaston Crunelle, encouraging us to use the Briccialdi thumb-Bb key or other “fake” keys, in order to find comfortable solutions. Once, after Crunelle had been replaced by Fernand Caratgé, a sort of taskmaster greatly appreciated by the British students, I played an F-major scale with the thumb Bb. I was reprimanded and told to play Après-midi d’un Faune, where the last note of the solo is A#. Of course, he did not like my interpretation and proceeded to demonstrate his to the class, finishing the solo on the A#… but using the thumb Bb . Young buck that I was, I pointed out his inconsistency. He was furious for having been caught with his pants down in front of the class. I don’t think he ever forgave me.
This is just to show that even great pros cut corners. No big deal, but my motto is “Whatever you do, teach it”, not “Do as I say, not do as I do.” I also think “If it’s easier, do it!”
So trompe-l’œil is for the eye or the brain, I would like to innovate with trompe-l’oreille or trick-the-ear. I think that a noisy finger technique, sounding like an old Corona typewriter, is not the sign of musical playing. The illusion we should give is one of ease and smoothness, a beautiful structure in a fragrant garden. It should not evoke the feeling of a gutter fight between the flutist and his poor instrument.
One of the reasons for brutal treatment of the poor flute is what I call slam-and-squeeze: some fingers come down forcefully on the keys, with a bang (noise), then are pressed in that position. The added muscle tension of squeezing the keys down makes lifting those fingers more difficult and slower. Slamming also hurts the mechanics of the keys and pads.
In fact, the strength should only be applied to static points of contact between the player and the instrument.
• The right hand thumb
• The first joint of the left forefinger
• The contact of the lip plate on the chin.
They serve as anchors, even though they do not actually create notes. Their immobility is an asset for stability.
To make believe that our fluent technique is a dream, we can practice the flexible lift off of the “up” fingers, and moderate the slam of the “down” fingers. This is not only true for fast passages, but also for slow ones, where a lack of connection between notes shows up even more than in fast licks.
As I said before, even the Boehm flute uses difficult finger combinations, especially in the high register. It is important to know that the left hand can finger half the notes of the flute (discounting the notes of the foot joint) by itself, from second-line G to the highest C, by using harmonics. The asterisks in the following exercise, Scales in Harmonics, indicate when to use the Bb-thumb key. The sign ∧ shows recalcitrant tone production.

Scales in Harmonics

The reason for this convenience is that most high note fingerings are based upon fundamentals two octaves below; to be completely accurate the lower notes in the scales should be notated one octave lower.
The consequence of this is that we should be aware of which finger activates the closest key to the head joint in order to play the high range efficiently. For example, for the E in the G-major scale above, we should be aware of the A finger. This is a little confusing, so here are a few examples:

Prokofiev Sonata, end of mvt. I:

In this pp passage, the hole closest to the lip plate is activated by the first trill key. Therefore our emphasis should be on that key to go first. Chin movements are not as efficient.

Bizet Carmen Entracte:

The pp Bb is the highest point: as in the Prokofiev, favor the first trill key.

Beethoven’s Leonore III

The A to F# is not strictly speaking an alternate fingering, but it is an example of a place in which the secret is in the left hand C#, the closest key to the lip plate, not in slamming down any right hand finger or in trying to force out notes with lip and chin movements.

Ravel 2nd Suite of Daphnis et Chloé

The interval of A to F# is not helped by slamming right hand fingers. Rather, think of the left thumb and forefinger working together to form the B, which is the fundamental of F#.
Why are some connections difficult to play smoothly? (Examples: G-Bb repeated, C-D, or B-D in the staff) The reason is that fingers operating in opposite directions are awkward. Because fingers are prehensile (i.e. grabbing) tools, they are meant to move in the same direction.
Try E to F or A to B; there is no roughness there. However, even without the flute and with the fingers placed on a flat surface, moving the forefinger up when the two next fingers are on the way down is quite a bit harder than moving those same three fingers in the same direction, up or down. The complexity of motion is much greater with the flute, both hands, and antagonistic motion (examples: E-F# in the high range or D-C in the staff).
The purpose of alternate fingerings, comparable to trill fingerings, is to move as few fingers as possible, not only because it is easier (not a negligeable issue), but because the connection is smoother and consequently more musical. Needless to say, this should never be at the expense of sound quality or noticeable truth of intonation.
When I hear the brutality of playing that seems to be the norm nowadays (“a BIG sound is essential, dynamics are for the birds, the flute has to cut through at all costs and drown out the brass section”), it is no wonder to me that so many instrumentalists have focal dystonia, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, etc.
In your practice avoid slam-and-squeeze and don’t use force. Instead, think of fingers coming down slowly, but lifting fast and not higher than needed. Mostly practice the lifting. Philosophically, a light touch is a sign of delicacy, of tenderness, of refinement, of spirit; whereas a strong slam is synonymous with weight, matter and brute force, the opposite of what the flute symbolizes to me.

The post Trompe-l’œil, Trompe-l’oreille appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Preparation for College

theinstrumenta — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:23:45 +0000

Four respected flute teachers join this roundtable discussion to share advice for students and teachers.

Students who plan on a career in music should begin their preparation for a successful college experience long before they audition. Our panel includes Leone Buyse, Patricia George, Adrianne Greenbaum, and George Pope. They offer practical suggestions for high school and college flute students and their teachers.

What are the most common problems you notice in incoming freshmen?
George Pope
Balance and alignment are the first big problem. Too many students arrive at college with a limited awareness of how to hold the flute properly to avoid tension in their hands, arms, shoulders, and neck, causing carpal tunnel, tendonitis, pain, etc. They also have incomplete ideas about how to stand or sit properly to maximize breathing and relaxation. I spend a lot of time in early lessons and studio/master classes discussing the subject and presenting exercises, stretches, and elements of balance for each student to improve their abilities.
Practice habits are also often poor. Although the top 5-10% of auditioning students have good skills, the majority do not have a good understanding about how to practice, processes for organizing the amount of time they practice, the materials, and the way to invest their time. I assign exercises in goal setting and require students to record their lessons and transcribe the tape, in order to synthesize the information we discuss.

Patricia George
I find that students lack an understanding of how the headjoint works. The more you know about your headjoint, the better you will play the flute. After all, we really play the headjoint, not the keys; the keys only change the pitch. Because of this I devote the first masterclass of the year to the headjoint. We take the headjoint apart, examine the crown assembly, and analyze the taper of a well-fitted cork. Students learn how to wash the headjoint inside and out, as well as how to clean the embouchure hole. We learn why you re-assemble the headjoint by inserting the cork assembly from the tenon end of the headjoint. Learning to adjust the cork is the first step toward good intonation.
I teach them how to hold the headjoint (thumb and index fingers on each end) to keep our fingers out of the way of the air stream and while playing, learn to search and hopefully find the sweet spot in the tone. Sometimes we use a straw on the back side of the embouchure hole to check the angle of the air for the best sound and also to check where the angle of the air needs to be to overblow the headjoint. During this lesson I also teach some basic anatomy, embouchure flexibility, articulation and how to vibrate.
Another problem results from poor balance of the flute in the flutist’s hands and a lack of understanding of anatomy and how that relates to injury-free flute performance. Over the years I have tried to change my teaching habit of saying “hold the flute” to “balance the flute.” This one statement keeps students from clutching the instrument. With the flute traditionally aligned (the center of the embouchure hole aligned with the D, E, & F keys of the right hand) students should play handedly, not right-handed or left-handed. Practicing alter-nating trills (F-G followed by G-A) helps students find this balance. Learning to balance the flute is the object of Daily Exercises #1 and 2 in Taffanel & Gaubert’s 17 Big Daily Exercises.
Many students studied anatomy in high school, but most never thought to apply what they learned to the flute. I have a skeleton on a stand in the corner of my studio, as well as anatomy drawings. When a flutist actually knows where his lungs are, he breathes with knowledge. Understanding how the head balances on the spine is something that improves every flutists’ injury-free performance. Did you know that when the head is balanced on the spine, the vocal folds also separate? What a winning way to “open your throat!”
I also see a lack of fundamentals. While many flutists play quite well, they have a weak understanding of music theory fundamentals. I love etudes and hope to impart in my students the idea that etudes will help improve both technically and musically.

Leone Buyse
The enthusiasm and determination of young players often translates into negative physical habits – hitting the keys too hard, allowing the fingers to rise too high above the keys, hunching intensely toward the music stand, or moving excessively in an attempt to be expressive. None of those habits is helpful, and all waste energy and can affect sound production and technique. Videotaping a student while they play is a very effective way to notice bad habits. The sooner those habits are identified, the sooner they will disappear. Both student and teacher must be patient and persistent; the benefits gained from improved physical use are huge, and well worth the moments of frustration during the retraining process.
Intonation is another concern. So often I hear freshmen play a problematic note, such as C# in the middle octave, out of tune (i.e. sharp) again and again. Other particularly annoying notes include Bb just above the staff and C# and D in the third octave (both flat, especially in soft dynamics). The remedy for any poor intonation habit is to practice the offending note with a tuner or teacher, remembering that practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect – it simply makes permanent whatever we repeat.
Students should play unisons, fifths, and octaves while the tuner (or a teacher) plays the pitch in question. We tend to accept whatever pitch we hear repeatedly as being correct, so ask students to document the intonational tendencies of their instruments, playing a chromatic scale through all three octaves in three different dynamic levels: soft, medium, and loud. A friend should watch the dial of the tuner and make notations on the chart so that the student isn’t tempted to adjust while watching the tuner. Recording a student’s performance with piano is also an effective aide.
Many freshmen enter without a vertical awareness of the music they play. The flute is generally used as a melodic instrument, and this translates into tunnel vision when it comes to learning repertoire. They have an absence of appropriate tone coloration when a change in harmony occurs. Knowledge of the harmonic structure underlying a work is essential for true understanding of the music – whether a Baroque slow movement needing some harmonically appropriate ornamentation, or a Romantic or Contemporary sonata with an equally important piano part.

Adrianne Greenbaum
Incoming freshmen often have a poor work ethic and lack the ability to solve problems, or frankly, don’t have the patience and desire to solve them. They are too used to school work being a fast-paced process that forces them to learn over night, get it in the brain, if only momentarily for the exam, and then move on. In their first flute lessons, they are quite surprised by their own insufficiency of studying music with more permanency, which involves methods of retaining practiced technical passages, the study of phrasing, and making meaningful musical choices.
Because our current world sees progress as winning competitions, the learning process is quite ignored. Students are often unable to play technical passages correctly in lessons. They have not taken the time to absorb the music, what a passage includes, what it spells out, whether it’s a sequence, what harmonies it creates, what patterns exist. Basically, they are not used to learning in depth and retaining what they learn; surface learning has taken up too much of their time. Breathe here, not there, make a crescendo here, diminuendo there. It is more just-tell-me-and-let’s-move-on kind of learning.
First-year students are also often unprepared to work independently on tone because they have rarely been given enough tools to work with. They wait for the teacher to present the magic pill. I ask them, “How does it sound to you? Sharp and unfocused? What does that mean you need to do with your embouchure? What muscles can you engage to work into the tone to get it to have more depth? Now, how do you change pitch? (I would say that 100% of all first year students instantly pull out their head joint when told they are sharp on a certain note.) I counter with “Hold on! I indicated one note, not the entire piece!”
Tone is the key to success for any flutist. Without a good tone you will not be heard. By the time students reach college, they should have a good handle on problem solving when they want a better or different tone.
In high school I was told that it was my responsibility to do the discovery work and experimentation necessary to shape and produce a better tone or different color. Later at Oberlin, Robert Willoughby had us all practice drastically changing pitch on many notes to gain more control. It was the same with color; we learned to go as edgy as we could, round as we could, and so on.
I wish there were more teachers at the high school level thinking in terms of the long haul, independent, and in-depth learning that students need in order to have control of their tone, phrasing, and overall performance. Students also should gain experience in patience – taking the time to learn properly without wasting time by using only the repetition method of learning.
Teachers’ expectations differ between high school and college. Students are embarking on a journey that requires more self-direction and purpose. Be inspired to be ready, and be ready to be inspired by this new studio environment.

What are the most common gaps in students’ training?
Buyse
Piano skills make a great difference for entering freshmen. Those who have had some kind of piano training encounter fewer difficulties when preparing theory assignments such as chorale harmonizations. Having taken piano lessons seriously throughout my first decade of flute playing, I automatically gravitated toward studying (and often learning) the piano parts to repertoire I was preparing. I’m certain that this made a real difference in my ability to interpret a work with stylistic understanding. Also, weekly flute lessons should ideally include some music theory, so that students learn to think of theory as a useful tool for hearing harmony and phrase direction – in other words, in hearing the music.

George
The most common gaps are a lack of broad repertoire and little sense of the four musical style periods – Baroque, Classic, Romantic, and Contemporary. To remedy this I assign: a Bach Sonata each semester, a Mozart Concerto each year, and as many French pieces as they can learn over a two-year period. This is their core literature and the basis of what everything else is built upon. Great musicians know how to switch from one style to another.
Musically they have no control over the shape of a note. They don’t understand the strength of the beat concept or the issues of strong/weak in music. Neither do they sense what the harmony is underneath the one line that they are playing. Most learn about the strength of the beat concept in music theory but never think to apply it to flute performance.

Pope
The most common gaps include piano skills, playing correct style for a type of music, music theory, practice habits, phrasing concepts and structure, tone colors, and intonation. Of course, all of these are elements that we all work on all our lives.

Greenbaum
I would love all of my students to have more than a basic knowledge of piano. They can learn more of their theory, understand it better, and look at their piano parts for their pieces. If a teacher takes the time to indicate the theory in pieces, it makes so much more musical sense. High school lessons should leave time for that, so college students aren’t so surprised by this new approach. Most of my students include some piano study during our flute lessons, but I’m afraid I also let it slip by after awhile. Piano training leads to far better theoretical thought and ultimately a better, quicker understanding of the music.
Learning how to practice is so tricky, so very difficult. Most students need solid guidance as to how to learn and how to best use their time. It must be well beyond the drilling that many students rely on.

What audition advice could you offer for college-bound flutists?
Pope
Plan your repertoire early so that you can be completely prepared, and schedule performances of your pieces prior to the audition. These mini recitals will give you real information about how well prepared you are and enhance your confidence. Exaggerate all of the musical ideas.
Discuss your future with all the professionals you know. Develop clear goals, both short and long term. Where do you want to be as a flutist in one year, when you graduate, in 10 years? How many career options do you have?

Buyse
Prepare the audition repertoire well in advance, and if possible, perform it in a recital before taking it on the audition circuit. With your teacher, choose works that you really love and will be happy living with for quite awhile. Also, make sure that the pieces you select demonstrate your strengths and your ability to interpret several different styles.
To be in great playing shape before auditions, spend adequate time working on tone studies, such as Moyse’s Tone Development Through Interpretation, scales, arpeggios, thirds, and other intervals. Invest your practice time wisely in the weeks leading up to the auditions, and treat yourself as an athlete: get adequate rest and nutrition in order to function optimally on physical, mental, and artistic levels.

George
Start preparing early. Find the best teacher that you can in your area. It may even be an oboist or violinist. What you need is a musician to help you. Record or video yourself often. You eventually will be your own best teacher. Seeing and hearing yourself play often provides the clues you need to improve.
Take a private lesson with the flute professor before you audition for them. You want to be sure that you can have a good relationship with the person and feel like that teacher can help you grow as a flutist and musician before you sign on for four years. Attend summer music festivals to gain repertoire and chamber music experiences.
Practice. Thirty minutes a day won’t get you where you want to be. Many serious flutists start putting in three hours a day during their freshmen years of high school and continue on. Listen to and study music. Learn all the Beethoven symphonies and string quartets with the full scores. This music is the meat and potatoes of our world. Talk to students who have matriculated in the program to which you are applying to see if the program sounds like a good fit for you.

Greenbaum
Try to plan your repertoire about nine months in advance, or roughly by the summer before the winter auditions. Try not to choose all new pieces; at least one major work worked on before might be useful because you will know it better. This will build your confidence and help you reach a higher level of musicianship because you already know the piece.
Try to memorize the concerto or the solo work. You will present it better. If the college doesn’t have a set audition list, choose works that are varied – a standard concerto, a sonata, a solo piece. Liberal arts colleges usually ask for orchestral excerpts by selecting from the first semester’s repertoire, so you can write to ask what the orchestra will play. Otherwise, I feel that learning excerpts out of context is of little use at this level.
Look for the kind of teacher that you need. Reputations are widely known about which teachers focus on technique, competitions, tone, etc. You really want a good pedagogue at this level. After studying with Willoughby for four years, I truly felt that I had the most solid foundation anyone could have. At the undergraduate level you want to learn how to learn.
Try to go to the audition itself with the idea that these 10 minutes are for you. If it’s a good match, the process will work itself out. If you really want that particular teacher, college, or conservatory, say so! Teachers want to know where they fit into your overall plan. Speak up; an audition is a great opportunity to open up and you might as well live the experience to its fullest.

What advice would you stress to flute teachers?
Buyse
Each one of us has a huge responsibility toward every student who walks through the studio door. Stressing the joy of music-making during each lesson can go a long way toward motivating students to improve the technical issues that might prevent them from realizing their potential. My advice would be to share your passion for music by encouraging students to listen to as many fine recordings and live performances as possible. Hearing great singers and string players in addition to excellent flutists should reaffirm why your students have felt drawn to music, and to the flute. Give them the invaluable gift of your enthusiasm and they will strive to be the best they can be.

George
Continue to question, study, and learn. Continue to practice and perform. Attend masterclasses, and if the opportunity arises, study with one of the great pedagogues. Share freely what you know. Have good manners.

Pope
Stay focused on the basics. Choose repertoire carefully. Teach your students to structure their practice time.

Greenbaum
Teach the whole musician. Avoid the trap of mostly preparing works for auditions, looking only for the perfection of each note, while ignoring the musical and personal goals of the developing young student. There are way too many uninteresting, bland, uninformed performances at the competition level. It is evident that we need to take the time to develop the whole person, the whole musician, rather than The Flutist.

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